Jon Morter started a Facebook group urging members to download the song on December 13 with his wife Tracy, to stop The X Factor from claiming the Chrismas Number One for the fifth year in a row.

“It’s a rallying cry,” he told NME.COM of the choice of song. “It’s been taken on by thousands in the group as a defiance to Simon Cowell‘s ‘music machine’. Some certainly do see it as a direct response to him personally. If that’s what they take out of that song, then that’s fine for them. We’ve nothing personal against him at all, we just do not want yet another Christmas chart-topper from that show again.”

The Facebook group has over 550,000 members as of today (December 10) and has received support from celebrities including John Lydon, Lenny Henry and Bill Bailey.

The track is now second favourite, behind the reality TV show, to top the UK charts on Christmas day.

Responding to criticism that Rage Against The Machine track was released by label behind The X Factor, Sony, Morter suggested that people were taking things too seriously.

“Rage Against The Machine are signed to a huge multi-national corporation in Sony,” he said. “Yes, we are aware of that. For me it was the song that’s important… I’m not fussed what label it happens to be on. This is supposed to be fun!”